Oscillating device



p 1941- K. K. PROBST OSCILLATING DEVICE Filed Mardh 15, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. 14/ Wms BY a ATTORNEY.

Sept. 16, 1941. K. K. PROBST OSCILLATING DEVICE I Filed March 15, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. r/ prob sf ATTORNEY.

Patented Sept. 16, 1941 OSCILLATIN G DEVICE Karl K. Probst, Detroit, and J. H. Shoemake Mich., assignor to himself r, as trustees for Probst- "Shoemaker-Merrill Company Application March 13, 1939,.Serial No. 261,499

4 Claims.

This invention relates to a fan oscillating reduction mechanism andhas'for its primary object to provide improved means operable by the motor of an electrician for slowlyoscillating the fan-about an axis extending at an angle to the axis of rotation thereof.

The conventional electric fan rotates at a comparatively high rate of speed; say for example approximately 300 R. P. bers of oscillations is considerably less, usually of the order of 8 per minute. With the motor of the fan supplying power for operating the oscillating mechanism, reduction means having an extremely high reduction ratio is required and the means for this purpose heretofore employed have been inefiicient.

Accordingly, it is an'important object of this invention to provide a fan oscillating reduction mechanism incorporating a higher degree of e'ificiency than has heretofore been attainable.

It is important, of course, to provide for air circulation through the motor housing, to avoid overheating of the motor. In the caseof an oscillating fan, however, the gear reduction for the oscillating mechanism is ordinarily attached to the rear face of the motor housing, and due-to the great number of gear trains necessary to obtain the required reduction the reduction gearing and its housing is comparatively large-and covers a large area of the housing which otherwise could be ventilated. An important object of this invention isto provide reduction gearing of very compact nature in order that it will offer no material obstruction to circulation of air through the motor housing.

Another object is to provide a fan oscillating reduction mechanism consisting of comparatively few, light-weight parts, to thereby avoid adding unnecessary weight to the load required to be oscillated.

Another object is to provide a fan oscillating reduction mechanism embodying means for causing the fan to dwell for short periods at different points in its oscillatory movement.

Another object is to provide a fan oscillating reduction means including planetary gearing including an eccentric rotated by the fan motor, two connected pinion gears rotatable on the ec- -M., whereas the numcentric, one of-said-pinions meshing with a stationary reaction gear and the other pinion driving an internal gear which operates the oscillating means. With this arrangement of gearing it is possible to provide a very compact reduction means, and because the number of and area of tooth contact is high the members may be formed arrows 55, with the pose the parts thereloeneath,

t and a I i -are rotatably bearings ii on the eccentric 8. The gear!) meshes with a stationary internal gear l2, and the gear 19 meshes with an internal gear of :lighterweight than ordinarily would be the case.

Another object is to provide gearing of the type referred to immediately above embodying a counterweight for counterbalancing' the eccentric and pinions and to reduce the rocking couple that is set up by the centrifugal unbalance at high speed.

Other objects andadvantages will-become more fullyaapparent as reference is-had to'the acccmpanying drawings wherein my invention is illustrated, and in which Fig. 1 is an end elevation.

Fig. '2 :is a fragmental vertical section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1,

Figs. Sand 4 are sections 3.3-and 4-4 of Fig. 2,

Fig; 5 is a view looking in the directionof the housing omitted to extaken on the lines .Fig. 6 is avertical section illustrating a mod- 'ified oscillatingreduction means,

Fig. 7 is .a view looking in the direction of the v.-arrows l! with the housing omitted to expose 25" the parts therebeneath and,

Fig. 8 is an elevation'of atdetail.

- Referring to Figs. 1' to 5, I designates the housing of a motor for an electric fan, the motor (not shown) having a drive shaft 2 extending through the end wall 3 thereof and into a gear housing 4.

.An extension 5 of reduced diameter, forming a continuation of the ported at its outer movable cover plate Secured upon the centric B and a pair drive shaft, is rotatably supend in a bearing -6 in a re- 1 on the housing'd.

shaft extension 5 is an ecof connected .pinion gears supported by anti-friction 13 which is rotatably mounted upon the shaft extension 5 and also rotatably supported by an anti-friction bearing 54 in the housing 4.

It will "be noted, at this stage of the description, that the eccentric 8 in revolving the gear about the fixed internal gear l2 causes rotation of the gear 9 relative to the eccentric. 'The gear i @{being connected to the gear 9, likewise rotates relative to the eccentric as it revolves about the of rotation of the eccentric. The internal gear i3 is rotated by the gear It at a speed much less than the speed of rotation of the eccentric.

A counterweight I5 is secured to tension 5 and has a portion I6 extending between the gears 9-l0 and lZ-I3 for counterthe shaft extact with the stationary gear 39.

' and a roller 43, carried by a swinging walls of the cam. straight portions 'ing from the spirit of the invention,

'mounted on said drive shaft,

balancing the eccentric and reducing the rocking couple set up by centrifugal unbalance at high speed.

Mounted on the stem portion l1 of the internal gear 13 is a helical gear l8 which meshes with a similar helical gear 19 on a vertical shaft 20. On the lower end of the shaft 20 is a disc 2| having an eccentric pin 22 which is connected by a connecting rod 23 to a pin 24 on the stationary motor base 25. The motor housing I is supported at 26 on the base for rotation about a vertical axis, and as the pin 2| is revolved about the shaft 20 it co-acts with the connecting rod 23 in oscillating the motor housing on its support 26.

As may be seen in Fig. 1, the housing 4 is comparatively small and does not, therefore, obstruct the ventilating openings 3a in the end wall 3. j

In Figs. 6, 'I and 8 the numeral 30 designates an electric motor housing supported'upon a stationary base 3| for movement about a vertical trunnion 32. In the housing is an electric motor 33 for operating a shaft 34 upon which is splined an eccentric 35. Rotatably supported by bearings 36 upon the eccentric 34 are two connected gears 31 and 38. The gear 31 meshes with a stationary internal gear 39, and the gear 38 meshes with a rotatable internal gear 40.

As the eccentric 3'5 rotates the gear 31 is caused to rotate relative to the eccentric because of con- The gear 38 rotates with the gear 31 and revolves about the aXis of the eccentric in'a direction opposite to the direction of rotation, and imparts rotation to the internal gear 40 at a speed much slower than the speed of rotation of the shaft 34.

In the stem 41 of the gear 40 is a cam slot 42 arm 44, extends into the cam slot. The arm 44 is fixed upon a vertical shaft 45 which has a lever arm 46 on its lower end connected by a connecting rod 41 to a pivot pin 48 on the base 3!. As the stem 4| is rotated the arm 44 is oscillated by contact of the'roller 43 with the walls of the cam slot, thus oscillating the shaft 45, and through the lever arm 46 and link 41 imparting oscillatory movement to the motor housing;

As may be seen upon reference to Fig. 8 the slot 42 are provided with 49 which act as dwells. That is, when the straight portions 49 contact the roller 43 oscillatory movement of the 'motor housing stops for a short interval. Arranged as shown,

'the'dwells in oscillatory movement occur midway between the ends of the reverse oscillating movements. The cam thus constitutes means for intermittently operating the oscillating means.

Although specific embodiments of the invention are shown and described, it will be understood'that various changes may be made within the scope of the appended claims without departand such changes are contemplated. 1

What is claimed is: 1 I 1. Gearing for converting rotary movement of V a drive shaft into oscillatory movement of a second shaft, comprising a cam member loosely said cam member having a circumferential cam groove disposed with the main portion thereof in a plane nonperpendicular to the axis of said drive shaft and a relatively short portion disposed in a plane perplane perpendicular to a radial lever on pendicular to the axis of the drive shaft and constituting a dwell, a radial lever on said second shaft having a roller on its free end disposed in said cam groove to oscillate said lever while the roller is in said main portion of said groove and to hold said lever stationary while the roller is in said dwell portion, and speed reducing gearing connecting the drive shaft with said cam member for rotating the cam member at a slower speed than the drive shaft.

2. Gearing for converting rotary movement of a drive shaft into oscillatory movement of a second shaft, comprising a cam member loosely mounted on said drive shaft, said cam member having a circumferential cam groove disposed with the main portion thereof in a plane nonperpendicular to the axis of said drive shaft and a relatively short portion disposed in a plane perpendicular to the aXis of the drive shaft and constituting a dwell, a radial lever on said second shaft having a roller on its free end disposed in said cam groove to oscillate said lever while the roller is in said main portion of said groove and to hold said lever stationary while the roller is in said dwell portion, an eccentric mounted on said drive shaft for rotation therewith, a pair of connected planet gears rotatable on said eccentric, a ring gear connected to said cam member and. meshing with one of said planet gears, and a stationary ring gear meshingwith the other planet said planet gears, a rotatable ring gear meshing with the other of said planet gears, said rotatable ring gear having an axial pilot stem having a portion formed with a circumferential cam groove, said cam groove being disposed in a plane non-perpendicular to the axis of said stem, and said second shaft having a roller on its free end disposed in said cam groove Whereby rotation of the rotatable ring gear causes the walls of the cam groove to oscillate said lever and said second shaft.

4. Gearing for converting rotary movement of a drive shaft into oscillatory movement of a second shaft, comprising an eccentric secured on said drive shaft for rotation therewith, a pair of connected planet gears rotatable on said eccentric, a stationary ring gear meshing with one of said planet gears, a rotatable ring gear meshing with the other of said planet'gears, said rotatable ring gear having an axial pilot stem having a portion I formed with a circumferential cam groove, the main portion of said cam groove being in a plane non-perpendicular to the axis of said stem and a relatively short portion disposed in a the axis of said stem and constituting a dwell, and a radial lever on said second shaft having a roller on its free enddis-' posed in said cam groove whereby rotation of the rotatable ring gear causes the walls of said groove while the roller is in said main portion and to hold said lever stationary while said roller is in said dwell portion.

KARL K. PROBST. 

